Important update! This article still serves as an important archive piece in the design development. The most current Cabin Stove documentation is available at The Cabin Stove Page.
Photo by Matthew Remine, walkertsoves.com.
What is the Cabin Stove?
The Cabin Stove is a compact wood-burning stove for heating and cooking. It uses a mix of clean, efficient combustion, and heat exchange strategies, which provide both immediate heat via the cooktop as well stored heat through the channels inside the brick work. Effectively, it converts wood into warmth and good food.
This cookstove is a hybrid between rocket mass heater and masonry heater technologies that has precedents throughout the world, especially in Europe.
The following video introduces the prototype and includes interesting insights on gas analysis and combustion efficiency….
Examples of Other Heat-Retaining Cookstoves
Design History
In August of 2012, Firespeaking developed the Cabin Stove at Aprovecho. Based on a lot of good feedback as well obvious needs for improvement, several stove builders came together in Firespeaking’s shop in February of 2015 to further develop this model of stove. There is still much development to be done. We have dropped the function of water heating in this second iteration in order to simplify the design and make it more accessible, the purpose of the Cabin Stove continues to be to provide a well-designed DIY wood-fired heating and cooking solution for small spaces.
- Criteria: Brick-based construction, minimal cuts, minimal specialized tools
- The Cabin Stove at Aprovecho
- Albie Barden’s Cookstove Pamphlet, Heart of the Home, Current Work.
- Alex Chernov’s contributions, the Russian Rocket, thoughts on isolating combustion chamber in single-skins, general Russian precedence.
- The modern metal alternative: The Baker’s Choice – tangible competition for the local cookstove builder.
Construction Plans
Construction plans for the Cabin Stove 2.0 will be available shortly. They will be offered on a donation basis in order to support our ongoing work. Hardware, as well as plans for the hardware, will be offered down the road. Sign-up for our mailing list to ensure you get updates….
Story of the Prototype
An article by Kiko documenting our prototype process and the collaboration that occurred.
More about testing and secondary air advice from Matthew, is on its way….
Design Destinations
- Iterate early and often. Collaborate. Feedback Loop. Refine.
- Improve Hardware.
- Cookstoves are EPA exempt, tweak firebox and primary and secondary air supply to ensure compliance to modern standards.
- Communicate, Discuss, Educate implications of single-skin construction.
Please more of that 🙂
Hi Max,
What you did with the Cabin Stove 2.0 is a good idea. It would be a nice addition to the way a batch box could be built. May I point you to something that is a shortcoming in my opinion?
That side riser is already built a couple of times by Adiel Shnior from Israel with commendable results. At first he tried the same configuration as you showed in the video with the opening between firebox and riser close to the corner. Later on, after some discussion, he built the port in the center of the riser. That went much better CO-wise because the flames are turning left and right at the same time, ensuring hefty turbulence from the very start. Since the flames are coming back to each other a double vortex is formed which is spiralling up in the riser. Not only is this a better way of mixing but also ensures a longer stay in the riser.
I’m unsure whether you and Eva will attend the MHA meeting this year. I had the vague plan, on top of the Rocket/Bell workshop and the seminar to build also a quick demonstration of a batch box core with a centered riser. Just to show interested people how this would work. I wonder, could you help me with that?
regards, Peter van den Berg
Peter,
I am sorry it has taken me so long to reply. Thanks for your prompt and very helpful response. I was sorry not to make it to the MHA meeting this past year and hope to attend the next. I continue to work on this design and have incorporated your comments as well as things I have learned from Matthew Remine. I will hopefully post an update soon.
Just a quick “thank you” to all who are involved in this project. Prior to a recent 10 year stretch of life in West Africa, I sold and installed wood stoves and furnaces for 22 years and heated my own home with wood. It is time to get back to wood heat – on my return to Canada four years ago I encountered mass rocket heaters and have been waiting impatiently to have a place in which to build one!! The timing of your work on the “cabin stove” is serendipitous since I plan to start construction this summer on a modest lakeside hide-away using light straw clay – a cabin stove will fit very nicely into my 448 square foot floor plan!!
Nice stove. Need some fill light next time you shoot video.
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Any update on the stove plans? Curious about when you anticipate them being available…
Hello
Construction plans for the Cabin Stove 2.0 will be available shortly posted February 25, 2015. Are these plans available to buy at the present time winters coming got to get the stove built.
Best regards
Bob
Ok, the Cabin Stove Plans are now available here!
Hi Max,
I like the 2.0 improvments. I think Isaw this site a few years ago when you were still on 1.0. Anyway, this looks like nice little stove.
Would you have any idea how many BTU it will put out or if it will heat a 600sqft area with an 8ft ceiling? I know that is fairly specific, but I like this design so much I am hoping to be able to incorporate it in my upcoming hous plans!
Thanks,
Mark
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Will these stove plans be available in the near future. Building a cabin and would like to place this stove in the cabin for heat and cooking. thanks\ Dave
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